Lesbos fears refugee push by Erdogan

More than half of the refugees that reach Greece arrive in Lesbos, where conditions are grimDANILO BALDUCCI/ZUMA/ALAMY

The mayor of Lesbos warned yesterday that the island faced a fresh influx of migrants to its already overrun camps, blaming worsening relations between Greece and Turkey.

Turkey is furious at the Greek decision to grant asylum to a Turkish pilot who it believes played a leading role in an attempt to overthrow the government and assassinate President Erdogan in July 2016.

Spyros Galinos, the mayor, said that Turkey might allow thousands of migrants to cross into Greece in response, a move that would cripple Lesbos, which is already struggling to cope with the thousands stuck in camps there.

Mr Galinos said that the Turkish officer’s asylum request was a matter for the relevant authorities. “But the fear of seeing a massive influx in illegal…